BILL NUMBER: SB 688INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Romero FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to add Section 44665.1 to the Education Code, relating to education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 688, as introduced, Romero. Education: teacher evaluations. Existing law requires that the performance of a certificated employee shall be evaluated and assessed on a periodic basis as it reasonably relates to the progress of pupils toward standards, the instructional techniques and strategies used by the employee, the employee's adherence to curricular objectives, and the establishment and maintenance of a suitable learning environment, as specified. This bill would require the governing board of every school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on or before January 1, 2011, to establish a committee of high school pupils and teachers to develop and monitor a formalized process by which pupils provide feedback on an annual basis to teachers in that district. The bill would require the committees to develop and administer an evaluation questionnaire that solicits comprehensive data on different aspect of a class and the effectiveness of the teacher in teaching the class, and allows for data to be compared among teachers and across academic departments. The bill would require teachers to be evaluated every three years by pupils who are currently enrolled in classes they teach. The bill would also provide that data derived from evaluations with respect to any individual teacher shall be confidential and released only to that teacher and that no administrator or any other school or district official shall view any completed questionnaire evaluating, or data derived from evaluations of, any individual teacher without the express written consent of that teacher. Because this bill would require school districts to perform additional duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 44665.1 is added to the Education Code, to read: 44665.1. (a) On or before January 1, 2011, the governing board of every school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall establish a committee of high school pupils and teachers to develop and monitor a formalized process by which pupils provide feedback on an annual basis to teachers in that district who teach classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive. (b) The committees established pursuant to subdivision (a) shall develop and administer an evaluation questionnaire that solicits comprehensive data on different aspects of a class and the effectiveness of the teacher in teaching the class, and allows for data to be compared among teachers and across academic departments. (c) All teachers within a district who teach classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall be placed into three evaluation groups. Using the questionnaire developed pursuant to subdivision (b), teachers within each group will be evaluated every three years by pupils who are currently enrolled in classes they teach. (d) Data derived from evaluations conducted pursuant to this section with respect to any individual teacher shall be confidential and released only to that teacher. No administrator or any other school or district official shall view any completed questionnaire evaluating, or data derived from evaluations of, any individual teacher without the express written consent of that teacher. (e) Each teacher within the district who teaches classes in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall receive the data derived from evaluations of him or her pursuant to this section in writing. SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.